Rugs, carpets, and throws are examples of various materials having edges that are commonly serge-finished to protect the edge of the material. Serge is typically applied to the edges of these materials using a conventional sewing or serging machine, with the operator of the sewing machine directing the application of serge to the edge of the material. The material is conventionally rectangular, and therefore has four edges to be processed. Once the serge has been sewn onto one edge of the carpet, the operator must make a perpendicular incision at the point in the material where the next edge is to begin, and the material must then be rotated for the next side edge of the carpet to have serge applied. As a result, to apply serge to each edge of the material, the operator must follow the following process: apply serge to one edge of the material, stop the operation of the sewing machine, cut an incision in the material with scissors at the point that the next edge is to be sewn, rotate the material at each intersecting edge, restart the operation of the sewing machine, and begin applying serge to the next edge of the material. Consequently, the process used to apply serge to the standard rectangular piece of material requires the operator to stop production to make four cuts on the material with a pair of scissors to be able align the desired edges to be serged.
This conventional method of applying serge creates several difficulties for the operator. First, for the operator to follow the steps of this method, it requires a substantial amount of time to make the required perpendicular incisions in the material at the edges that are to be serged. As stated above, for the operator to apply serge to each edge, the operator is required to stop the sewing of the edge, pick up a pair of scissors, cut the material at the desired location, rotate the material at the desired angle (preferably ninety degrees), and then begin sewing serge to the next edge. Since the edge of the material is preferably sewn on every side for conventional carpets, this process must be repeated approximately three times after the first edge to protect each individual edge of the rectangular piece of material. Consequently, the time required by the operator is significant when the operator has to make a cut in the edge of the rug according to the area for which serge is to be applied. Moreover, to improve the efficiency during this manufacturing process, the operator must hold and manipulate a pair of scissors throughout the application of the serge. The constant holding and usage of the scissors further increases the risk of injury to the operator and the operator's hands.